20 Amazing & Lasting Benefits of Applying Embodied Self-awareness & Leadership Principles

“Presence — or its lack — has enormous consequences for leaders. Presence grants genuine leadership authority by building trust and inspiring others. This is quite a bit different from the leadership that is conferred by position, title or status.” ~ Richard Strozzi-Heckler

It’s a driving force within us to want our lives to have meaning…that we make a difference, leave a legacy and be remembered for contributing something worthwhile. This desire requires that we step up to our leadership potential, which can be quite daunting. Because before we can lead others, we must first lead ourselves. That’s where the practice of embodiment is so beneficial. You learn to first lead yourself through embodied self-awareness. The way you speak, the words you choose, your body posture, all reflect the harmony you feel by being fully present.

We admire leaders because we’re inspired by their presence and way of being. Embodied leaders lives the life they teach,  and they trust quickly and inspire others to achieve excellence.

Remember, embodied leadership results from collaboration between body, mind and spirit – the whole YOU. An excellent leader provides a model that embodies the good that others want to achieve in all areas of their own lives. Let’s recap what this means…

Body: To lead others, it’s important to model how to be physically fit. An awareness of what your body is telling you and what it’s revealing to others is essential to creating a presence that inspires confidence. When your body is congruent with your mind and spirit, you’ll be able to control the physiological responses to stress and you’ll feel at peace even under the most trying situations.

Mind: To lead others takes mental discipline.. Developing emotional intelligence increases your ability to concentrate and focus, observe and release negative self-talk, calm your emotions, see the possibilities as you visualize positive outcomes, and be fully present in and accepting of difficult situations.

Spirit: To lead others, your passion must shine. When you’re firmly grounded in your own spirit, you never need to feel challenged or defensive, but you remain open and accepting. You’re able to hold onto your own values while helping your clients achieve what is most important to them.

When you embody or truly live what you believe, people can see that you’re balanced and centered, and they want that for themselves. This is what creates an authentic connection with others.

What are some other benefits to you and your relationships when you excel at embodied self-awareness and leadership skills? You’ll be able to:

1. Improve physical, emotional and mental endurance, strength, and agility.
2. Increase your self-confidence and composure by remaining centered.
3. Keep your compassion through awareness of others.
4. Sharpen your concentration, focus and visualization.
5. Be organized and results oriented so you achieve your best life ever.
6. Stand out in your industry as a thought-leader.
7. Stay committed to your goals in the midst of complexity.
8. Use body language to clearly communicate your core beliefs with conviction.
9. Read the intentions, motivations and abilities of the people around you.
10. Have honest, courageous conversations about the most difficult subjects.
11. Enhance and support your own mind/body/spirit and that of others.
12. Resolve conflict as you learn to let situations unfold without resistance.
13. Build trust as you listen carefully and proactively provide solutions.
14. Act decisively while maintaining important relationships.
15. Anticipate and address potential problems rather than reacting to them.
16. Create opportunities for effective action in emotionally charged environments.
17. Increase your own accountability and that of others.
18. Enable people to self-correct by giving well-chosen feedback.
19. Motivate and influence others to take action.
20. Fine-tune your awareness as you see what others need and desire.

When you develop both embodied self-awareness and embodied leadership skills, you value, motivate, and bring out the best in yourself and the people around you, which can leave a lasting impact. So what kind of impact do you want to make? If you’d like to explore this further, download my free report, 10 Steps to an Embodied Practice and think seriously about signing up for my 2022 Embodied Coach School. As one of my previous students told me, “I left each Coach School session with ideas for how to refine my embodied practice, both personally and professionally”. Isn’t that what you want, too?